Quebracho is a common name in Spanish to describe very hard (density 0.9–1.3) wood tree species. The

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

of the name derived from ''quiebrahacha'', or ''quebrar hacha'', meaning " axe-breaker".

Species

There are at least three similar commercially important tree species that grow in the

Gran Chaco The Gran Chaco or Dry Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid lowland natural region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina, and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Gro ...

region of South America. * the quebracho ** '' Schinopsis lorentzii'' (Syn.: ''Schinopsis marginata'' Engl., ''Schinopsis haenkeana'' Engl.); of the family Anacardiaceae; North Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia; (the red quebracho, quebracho), ''quebracho-colorado santiagueño'', ''red quebracho santiagueño'', ''quebracho santiagueño'' (also known as ''quebracho cor(o)nillo'', ''cor(o)nillo'', ''quebracho macho'', ''quebracho negro'' or ''moro'', ''quebracho rojo'', ''quebracho bolí'', ''horco quebracho'', ''quebracho serrano'', ''quebracho montano'', ''quebracho crespo'', ''quebracho del cerro'', ''quebracho colorado de las sierras'' o ''del cerro'' and ''quebracho cordobés'') ** ''

Schinopsis balansae ''Schinopsis balansae'' is a hardwood tree known as willow-leaf red quebracho which forms forests in the subtropical Humid Chaco ecoregion of north-eastern Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found in the wild Pantanal vegetation in Brazil. Some ...

''; of the same family; Northeast Argentina, West-Central Brazil, Paraguay; (the willow-leaf red quebracho, red quebracho) ''quebracho-colorado chaqueño'', ''red quebracho chaqueño'', ''quebracho chaqueño'', ''quebracho vermelho'', ''quebracho vermelho chaqueño'' (also known as ''quebracho hembra or femea'', ''quebracho santafesino'', ''quebracho colorado santafesino'', ''quebracho rubio'') * '' Schinopsis aff. heterophylla'' Ragonese & J.A.Castigl., the ''quebracho mestizo'' or ''quebracho colorado mestizo'', ''horco quebracho''; Northeast Argentina, Paraguay * ''

Schinopsis brasiliensis ''Schinopsis brasiliensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family known by the common names ''baraúna'' or ''braúna''.Cardoso, M. P., et al. (2005)A new alkyl phenol from ''Schinopsis brasiliensis''.''Natural Product Research'' ...

'' Engl., ''brazil red quebracho'', ''quebracho-colorado'', ''quebracho crespo''; Brazil * '' Schinopsis cornuta'' Loes., ''horned red quebracho'', ''quebracho-colorado''; Paraguay, Bolivia * ''

Schinopsis peruviana ''Schinopsis'' is a genus of South American trees in the family Anacardiaceae, also known by the common names quebracho, quebracho colorado and red quebracho. In Brazil it is known as ''baraúna'' or ''braúna''. Description The species within t ...

'', ''quebracho-colorado (boliviano)''; Peru * the white quebracho or ''quebracho blanco'', ''quebracho amarillo'', ''

Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco ''Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco'', commonly known as Quebracho blanco, kebrako, or white quebracho, is a South American tree species, native to Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It must not be confused with other specie ...

'' of the family Apocynaceae; Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, West-Central Brazil * '' Aspidosperma triternatum'' Rojas Acosta; North Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay; ''quebracho blanco lagunero'', ''quebracho blanco chico'', ''quebrachillo blanco, chico or pardo'' and ''quebracho negro''. * '' Aspidosperma olivaceum'' Müll.Arg.; Southeast Brazil; ''quebracho blanco'' * ''

Aspidosperma parvifolium ''Aspidosperma parvifolium'' is a timber tree native to Brazil, which is typical of Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga, and Pantanal vegetation. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Carl Friedrich ...

'' A.DC.; Venezuela; '' Aspidosperma australe'' Müll.Arg.; (quebracho amarillo) * ''

Aspidosperma tomentosum ''Aspidosperma tomentosum'' is a timber tree native to Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It is common in of Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. It was first described by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp ...

'' Mart.; Brazil; ''quebracho'', ''quebracho blanco moroti'' These species provide tannin and a very hard, durable

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

. ''Quebracho'' is sometimes used as a commercial name for the tannin derived from the trees or their timber. A further species, '' Jodina rhombifolia'' (Syn. ''Iodinia rhombifolia'', the ''quebracho flojo'' (the loose, soft quebracho) or ''quebrachillo'', ''quebrachillo flojo'' and ''sombra de toro'', ''sombra de toro macho'', ''quinchilin'', ''quinchirin'', of the family ''Santalaceae'', is also sometimes mentioned. Other species with less economic significance are also locally known as ''quebracho'' or as ''quebrachillo'' or ''quebrachilla'' and could be found in other areas of Latin America : * ''

Acanthosyris spinescens ''Acanthosyris'' is a genus of plants in the family Santalaceae. It contains the following species: # ''Acanthosyris annonagustata'' C.Ulloa & P.M.Jørg. # ''Acanthosyris asipapote'' M.Nee # ''Acanthosyris falcata'' Griseb. # ''Acanthosyris glabra ...

'' (Mart. & Eichler) Griseb.; Santalaceae; Northeast Argentina, Uruguay, South Brazil; ''

Acanthosyris falcata ''Acanthosyris'' is a genus of plants in the family Santalaceae. It contains the following species: # ''Acanthosyris annonagustata'' C.Ulloa & P.M.Jørg. # ''Acanthosyris asipapote'' M.Nee # ''Acanthosyris falcata'' Griseb. # ''Acanthosyris glabra ...

'' Griseb.; (quebrachill(a)o, quebracho flojo, sombra de toro (hembra)) * ''

Albizia carbonaria ''Albizia'' is a genus of more than 160 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, America and A ...

'' Britton; Fabaceae; El SalvadorWiersema J.H., León B.: ''World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference.'' Second Edition, CRC Press, 2016, , p. 337, 1106 f. * '' Astronium fraxinifolium'' Schott; Anacardiaceae; N. Colombia * '' Athyana weinmannifolia'' (Griseb.) Radlk.; Sapindaceae; (quebrachillo)''Sapindaceae.'' In: ''Flora Argentina.'
online
(PDF). * '' Berberis ruscifolia'' Lam.; '' Berberis spinulosa'' A.St.-Hil.; Berberidaceae; Argentina resp. Brazil (quebrachill(a)o)''American Druggist.'' XV, No. 4, 142, 1886, p. 78 f
online
on babel.hathitrust.org. * '' Cojoba arborea'' (L.) Britton & Rose; Fabaceae; Nicaragua * '' Diatenopteryx sorbifolia'' Radlk.; Sapindaceae; (quebrachillo, quebrachillo blanco) * '' Diphysa americana'' Benth.; Leguminosae; Honduras; (quebracho de cerro)Grandtner M.M.: ''Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees.'' Volume 1: ''North America'', Elsevier, 2005, , p. 315, 495, 619, 676. * '' Handroanthus chrysanthus'' (Jacq.) S.O.Grose; Bignoniaceae; Honduras, Guatemala; '' Handroanthus impetiginosus'' (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos * '' Krugiodendron ferreum'' Urban; Rhamnaceae; Cuba, Belize, Honduras; also (quiebraho, quiebrahacha); Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Belize * ''

Leptolobium elegans ''Leptolobium'' is a small Neotropical genus of plants in the family Fabaceae, with ten species currently recognized. With the exception of ''Leptolobium panamense'', which occurs in tropical forests from northwestern South America to Mexico, al ...

'' Vogel; Fabaceae; Paraguay (quebracho negro) * ''

Libidibia paraguariensis ''Libidibia paraguariensis'' (the guayacaú negro or ibirá-berá) is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is threatened by habitat loss. Guayacaú negro is used for timber in ...

'' (D.Parodi); Fabaceae; (quebracho negro) * '' Lonchocarpus michelianus'' Pittier; Leguminosae; Salvador * ''

Lysiloma acapulcense ''Lysiloma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus is native to the Americas, and species range from Arizona and New Mexico through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica, and in Florida, Cuba, Hispaniola, the Baham ...

'' Benth.; Leguminosae; Honduras * ''

Lysiloma auritum ''Lysiloma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus is native to the Americas, and species range from Arizona and New Mexico through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica, and in Florida, Cuba, Hispaniola, the Baham ...

'' (Schltdl.) Benth.; Leguminosae; Honduras, Nicaragua (quebracho, quebracho azul) * ''

Lysiloma divaricatum ''Lysiloma divaricatum'' is a flowering tree native to Mexico and Central America. Common names include mauto, quitaz, and tepemesquite in Mexico, quebracho in Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua, and quebracho negro, tepemisque, and yaje in El Salv ...

'' Steud.; Leguminosae; Salvador (quebracho, quebracho azul) * '' Maytenus magellanica'' (Lam.) Hook.f.; (quebracho, quebrachito), ''

Maytenus ilicifolia ''Maytenus'' ''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indi ...

'' (quebrachill(a)o) * ''

Pentaclethra macroloba ''Pentaclethra macroloba'' is a large and common leguminous tree in the genus ''Pentaclethra'' native to the wet tropical areas of the northern Neotropics, which can form monoculture, monocultural stands in some seasonally flooded habitats. It ha ...

'' (Willd.) Kuntze; Fabaceae; Costa Rica) * '' Pleuranthodendron lindenii'' (Turcz.) Sleumer; Salicaceae; Costa Rica (quebracho blanco) * '' Piptadenia constricta'' MacBride; Leguminosae; Salvador * ''

Poeppigia procera ''Poeppigia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Dialioideae The subfamily Dialioideae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae (legumes). This subfamily includes many tropical tre ...

'' Presl.; Leguminosae; Salvador (quebracho blanco) * '' Sloanea jamaicensis'' Hook.; Elaeocarpaceae; Jamaica * ''

Thouinia striata ''Thouinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. The genus is named for André Thouin, a French botanist.Grossmann J.: ''Gewerbekunde der Holzbearbeitung: Das Holz als Rohstoff.'' Zweite Auflage, Springer, 1922, (Reprint), p. 125. * ''

Tipuana tipu ''Tipuana tipu'', also known as tipa, rosewood and pride of Bolivia, is a South American tree. It is the only member of the genus ''Tipuana''. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Pterocarpus'' clade within the Dalbergieae ...

'' (Benth.) Kuntze; Fabaceae; (quebracho blanco alto)Stuckert, T.: ''El Quebracho Blanco.'' In: ''Revista de la Universidad Nac. de Córdoba.'' XIII (1–3), 1926, 27–64
online
(PDF; 2,4 MB). * ''

Weinmannia organensis ''Weinmannia'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Cunoniaceae. It is the largest genus of the family with about 150 species. It is also the most widespread genus, occurring in Central and South America including the Caribbean, Madagasc ...

'' Gardner; Cunoniaceae; (quebracho crespo) as false quebracho or ''quebracho falso'' * ''

Qualea cordata ''Qualea'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Vochysiaceae. These plants occur in the Neotropics and their wood makes good timber and firewood and is used in construction. Some species of ''Qualea'' have medicinal properties. Species incl ...

'' Spreng.; Vochysiaceae; Paraguay, BrazilGrandtner M.M., Chevrette J.: ''Dictionary of Trees.'' Volume 2: ''South America'', Academic Press, 2013, , p. 9, 11, 150, 198, 335, 556, 591.

Wood

Quebracho wood from ''Schinopsis spp'' is red-colored and very hard. Other names for the wood are: * Quebracho chaqueño - Argentina * Quebracho - Argentina * Quebracho macho - Argentina * Quebracho moro - Argentina * Quebracho negro - Argentina * Quebracho santiagueño - Argentina * Barauna - Brazil * Brauna - Brazil * Quebracho - Brazil * Quebracho hembra - Brazil * Quebracho cornillo (= ''Schinopsis lorentzii'') - Brazil * Quebracho femea (= ''S. balansae'') - Brazil * Quebracho rubio - Paraguay * Soto negro - Paraguay

Tannins

Quebracho produces

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...

s that can be extracted in ''quebracho sawmills'' from the heartwood of both red ('' Schinopsis lorentzii'') and white quebracho (''

''). Logs are inserted into planers to produce chips that are used to produce the quebracho extract by boiling them in vats. It is used for fine leather tanning and imparts a red-brown color. Ordinary or warm soluble quebracho (also known as insoluble Quebracho) is the natural extract obtained directly from the quebracho wood. This type of extract is rich in condensed tannins of natural high molecular weight ( phlobaphenes), which are not easily soluble. Its use is therefore limited to addition of small amounts during the process of tanning leather intended for shoe soles in hot liquids (temperature above 35 °C) to improve the yield and the water-proofness of the leather. The cold soluble extracts are obtained by subjecting the ordinary extract to a sulphiting process which transforms the phlobaphenes into completely soluble tannins.''Improvements in the manufacture and production of readily soluble tanning extracts and agents''. Patent specification. Johnsons & Willcox, 1921. The cold soluble quebracho extracts are the most universally known and used types. The chemical structure of these extracts can be described as polymers of

epicatechin Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from ''catechu'', which is the tannic ...

. The main properties of these extracts are: a very rapid penetration, a high tannin content and a relatively low percentage of non-tannins. The rather low acid and medium salt content characterise them as mild tanning extracts (low astringency). Quebracho tannins give an important added value to the quality of leathers, such as vacchetta, belts and garments, making them more compact and tear resistant with a pleasant touch. The sulphited quebracho extract may be carcinogenous in mice. Other recent studies show that quebracho tannins present a strong anti-mutagenic activity. The heartwood contains from 20 to 30 percent tannin and 3 or 4 percent water-soluble nontannin. It is said to not ferment. According to King and White (1957), the hydrolysable tannins and

gallic acid Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid with the formula C6 H2( OH)3CO2H. It is classified as a phenolic acid. It is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. It i ...

found in the

sapwood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

constitute the raw material for the biosynthesis of the

condensed tannin Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins, polyflavonoid tannins, catechol-type tannins, pyrocatecollic type tannins, non-hydrolyzable tannins or flavolans) are polymers formed by the condensation of flavans. They do not contain sugar residues. They ...

s found in the heartwood.

Fustin Fustin, sometimes called "dihydrofisetin", is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. It can be found in young fustic (''Cotinus coggygria'') and in the lacquer tree (''Toxicodendron vernicifluum''). Fustin shows protective effects on 6-hydroxydopami ...

(predominantly (-)-Fustin 66%), (-)-7:3':4'-trihydroxyflavan-3:4-diol ((-)-

leuco-fisetinidin Leucofisetinidin is a flavan-3,4-diol (leucoanthocyanidin), a type of natural phenolic substance. It is the monomer of condensed tannins called profisetinidins. Those tannins can be extracted from the heartwood of ''Acacia mearnsii'' or from the ...

), (+)- catechin, gallic acid,

fisetin Fisetin (7,3′,4′- flavon-3-ol) is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It can be found in many plants, where it serves as a yellow/ochre colouring agent. It is also found in many fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, ...

and 2-benzyl-2-hydroxycoumaran-3-ones have been isolated from the heartwoods of ''

'', ''Schinopsis quebrachocolorado'' and from commercial quebracho extract. Quebracho tannin is rich in

profisetinidin A profisetinidin is a type of condensed tannins formed from leuco-fisetinidin, the leucoanthocyanidin form of fisetinidin. ''Mimosa'' and quebracho tannins are, according to a comparative 13C NMR study of polyflavonoids, found to be predominantly ...

s and

prorobinetidin Prorobinetidins are a type of condensed tannins formed from robinetinidol. They form robinetinidin when depolymerized under oxidative conditions. ''Mimosa'' and quebracho tannin Quebracho is a common name in Spanish to describe very hard (dens ...

s. The expected masses found in mass spectrometry in negative mode in quebracho tannin are 289, 561, 833, 951, 1105, 1377, 1393, 1651 and 1667. In Quebracho , the sugars and the

lignin Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity ...

s are thought to be covalently linked to the condensed tannins. Quebracho tannin is also sold as an

enological tannin The phenolic content in wine refers to the phenolic compounds— natural phenol and polyphenols—in wine, which include a large group of several hundred chemical compounds that affect the taste, color and mouthfeel of wine. These compounds includ ...

. The quebracho tannins structure is very similar to that of grape tannins, making them a desirable alternative to consider comparatively because they are much less expensive to produce than grape tannins. Myo-inositol and

arabitol Arabitol, or arabinitol, is a sugar alcohol. It can be formed by the reduction of either arabinose or lyxose. Some organic acid tests check for the presence of D-arabitol, which may indicate overgrowth of intestinal microbes such as ''Candida al ...

are detected in tannins from quebracho. Researches are being made to develop an eco-friendly anti-

biofouling Biofouling or biological fouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals where it is not wanted on surfaces such as ship and submarine hulls, devices such as water inlets, pipework, grates, ponds, and rivers that ...

paint from quebracho tannin. The

tannic acid Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity ( pKa around 6) is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure. The chemical formula for commercial tannic acid is often given as C76H52O46, which correspon ...

, in the form of alkalized salts, was extensively used as a

deflocculant Flocculation, in the field of chemistry, is a process by which colloidal particles come out of suspension to sediment under the form of floc or flake, either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent. The action differs from p ...

drilling mud In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid, also called drilling mud, is used to aid the drilling of boreholes into the earth. Often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also us ...

s in 1940s-1950s, until it was replaced with

lignosulfonates Lignosulfonates (LS) are water-soluble anionic polyelectrolyte polymers: they are byproducts from the production of wood pulp using sulfite pulping. Most delignification in sulfite pulping involves acidic cleavage of ether bonds, which connect ma ...

. Its red color gave the mixture the name ''red mud''. Quebracho tannin acts as flocculant agent to remove surfactant as

sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate Alkylbenzene sulfonates are a class of anionic surfactants, consisting of a hydrophilic sulfonate head-group and a hydrophobic alkylbenzene tail-group. Along with sodium laureth sulfate, they are one of the oldest and most widely used synthetic ...

in water treatment. For its polyphenolic structure, quebracho tannin is widely studied for

particle boards Particle board, also known as chipboard or low-density fiberboard, is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particle board is often confused with ori ...

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

and

fiber board Fiberboard (American English) or fibreboard (British English) is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard (in order of increasing density) include particle board or low-density fiberboard (LDF), medi ...

gluing. The Argentine companies Unitán and Silvateam are the main leaders in quebracho tannins production.

Quebracho exploitation

The tanning properties of quebracho extracts were discovered in 1867 by a French tanner, Emilio Poisier, who lived in Argentina. By 1895, the quebracho extracts were exported to Europe and became the principal vegetal tannin source in the world.Quebracho on www.cvtoscana.com (Spanish)
Amongst other activities

Ernesto Tornquist Ernesto Carlos Tornquist (31 December 1842 – 17 June 1908) was an Argentinian entrepreneur and businessman, considered to be one of the most important entrepreneurs in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. The diversified business empire he ...

(1842–1908) organised the exploitation of quebracho in

Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero (, Spanish for ''Saint-James-Upon-The-Lagoon'') is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 252,192 inhabitants, () making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surf ...

, in the Chaco region. Originally a dry forest area, the abundance of quebracho attracted timber industries of British capital during the 19th century, leading to extensive

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

. This devastated the ecosystem in a relatively short time. The private owners of the Chaco then turned to cotton production, employing the local Toba people as a cheap seasonal workforce; the conditions did not change substantially for decades. The British-owned Central Argentine Railway reached the city of Santiago del Estero in 1884 and the trees were exported via San Lorenzo port.

Barbeque

The quebracho tree is also used to produce hard wood barbecue charcoal.

References

External links

Pictures on flickr
Image of a truck carrying quebracho tree trunks

Image of a chopped down tree
{{Tannin source Flora of Argentina Plant common names